Mail-bag lock.



F. w. NEUSUS.

MAIL BAG LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1914.

1,1 58.53%. Patented Nov. 2, 1915;

wummw M1 COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH C0-.WASHINGTON D c FREDERICK W. NEUsr'is, or MOUNT OLIVE, ILLInoIs.

MAIL-BAG LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed January 16, 1914. Serial No. 812,608.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. N EUsiis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Olive, in the county of Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved lock which is intended to be used in connection with mail bags and the principal object of the invention is to provide a lock which is so constructed that the lock will fit fiat against the neck of the mail bag and thus be prevented from the danger of being caught and drawn loose from the mail bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide the lock with a novel type of housing and locking pawls, the housing being so constructed that it will be very strong and not liable to break and the locking pawls being so constructed that when the latch is inserted in the housing, the pawls will on ga go the neck of the latch and securely hold the sack in a locked position.

iinother object of the invention is to provide an improved type of latch which is so constructed that when inserted into the housing and engaged by the pawls, it cannot have any rotary movement and can not become disengaged from the locking pawls.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a View of the lock with the cover plate removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lock; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of F ig. 1 with the cover plate in position and the latch and key inserted in the lock; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the latch and plate which connects the latch with the mail bag; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cover plate drawn upon a reduced scale.

The housing 10 of this look is provided with a bot-tom ll from which the side walls extend and which is provided with a keyhole 12 through which the key 13 may be passed.

The side ears 16L extend from the walls of the housing and carry the pivotally mounted link 15 to which the straps 16 and 17 are secured.

Openings 18 are formed in the side ears 14 and are intended to receive rivets which pass through the openings 19 formed in the wings 20 which extend from the cover plate 21. This cover plate is provided with an opening 22 through which the latching lug may pass and carries a key post 23 which fits into an opening formed in the key 13 when the key is inserted through the keyhole 12.

The supporting plate 24 is placed within the housing '10 and is held in spaced relation to the bottom 11 by means of the flanges 25 so that there will be room for the point of the latching lug to pass between the sup porting plate 24 and bottom 11. This plate 24 is provided with an opening 26 through which the latching lug passes and is provided with a keyhole 27 through which the key 13 passes and through which the key post 23 passes,

The pawls or-locking dogs 28 are pivotally mounted upon pins 29 carried by supporting plate 2% and are yieldably held in the position shown in Fig. l by means of the leaf springs 30 which engage the side walls of V the housing 10 and have their inner ends rigidly secured in slots 31 formed in the shoulders 32 of the pawls 28.

Shoulders 33 are provided'to limit the pivotal movement of the pawls andprevent the pawls from extending across the edges of the keyhole 27.

It should be noted that the corners of the pivotally mounted ends of the pawls are curved so that the pawls may be easily moved to a released position, this rounding of the corners preventing binding between the pawls and the side walls of the housing. Oppositely disposed notches 34 are cut in the pawls in alinement with the openings 22 and 26 for a purpose which will be herein after brought out.

A base plate 35 is secured to the mail sack by any suitable means such as rivets 36 and carries the latch or lug 37 which is cut to form a head 38 and neck 39 from which extends the web or fingers -10. This lug or latch 37 is constructed as shown so that when the latch is inserted in the housing through the opening 22, the tapered head 38 will spread the pawls 28. After the head 38 has passed the pawls, the springs 30 will return the pawls to their normal position so that they will engage the neck beneath the head and thus prevent the latch from being removed. The webs or fingers 4L0 fit into the notches 34 and prevent the latch from turning and causing the pawls to spread and release the lug. When it is desired to release the lug, the key 13 is inserted as shown at pawls being Fig. 3 and is turned so that its arms 41 will move the pawls out of engagement with the latch or lug and permit the latch to be drawn out of the housing.

An inspection of Fig. 3 will show that this look is so constructed that it will be very comp'actand therefore can not easily become damaged or broken by a mail bag being roughly handled. It will also be noted that when the mail bag is in use and the strap 16 passed around the neck of the bag, the lock will fit flat against the side of the bag and thus be out of the way. The strap 17 is provided so that the neck of the sack can be tightly compressed and the lug thus easily inserted into the housing.

What is claimed is:

1. In a look a housing having its bottom provided with a keyhole, a plate mounted in said housing in spaced relation to the bottom of said housing and provided with a keyhole and passage way, locking pawls pivotally mounted upon said plate and provided with shoulders limiting their pivotal movement in one direction, the edges of said provided with notches position'ed in alinement with the passage way of said plate when said pawls are in a locked position, resilient means yieldably holding said pawls in a locked position, a cover plate secured to said housing and provided with a passage way positioned in alinement with the passage Way of the plate mounted within said housing, a keypost carried by said cover plate and extending into said housing through the keyhole of the plate mounted therein, a base plate, a latching lug extending from said base plate through the passage ways of said housing and provided with a neck forming an enlarged head beneath which said locking pawls pass, and fingers extending from said neckand passing through the notches of said pawls.

2. A look comprising a housing provided with a keyhole, a cover for said housing provided with a passage way, a platemounted Copies of this patent may-be obtained for in said housing and provided with a keyhole and passage positioned in alinement with the keyhole of said housing and passage of said cover, locking pawls pivotally connected with said plate with their inner edges extending in spaced relation and provided with notches formed in alinement with said passage ways, resilient means normally holding said pawls in a locked position, :1. lug passing through said passage ways and provided with a reduced neck engaged by said pawls and provided with fingers extending through the notches of said pawls, and means for connecting said lug with an article.

3. A lock comprising a housing having its bottom provided with a keyhole, a cover for said housing, locking means movably mounted in said housing and provided with notches positioned in alinement with the passage way of said cover when in a locked position, means normally holding said looking means in a locked position, a lug entering said housing through said passage way and passing between said locking means and provided with a reduced neck engaged thereby, means extending from the neck of said lug through said notches, and means for connecting said lug with an article.

4. A look comprising a housing provided with a passage-way, a locking element movably mounted in said housing and normally held in a locked position, a lug extending into said housing and engaged by said locking means to normally prevent the withdrawal of said lug, and means for causing an interlocking engagement between said lug and locking means to prevent rotation of said lug in said housing.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

" FREDERICK W. NEUsUs.

\Vitnesses:

ERNST NOTTBOHM, A. J. Knrsnn.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

